Dental Implant and Ceramic Prosthesis for Fixed Replacement of Missing Teeth

A 56 year old male patient from Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India, approached our Dental Hospital seeking for a permanent replacement of his missing teeth. The patient had allegedly, got his upper and lower posterior teeth removed, due to extensive decay, at his native a few years back. The patient had been experiencing great difficulty to bite and chew food properly. Patient had been using a removable denture for the past 1year to hide his dental defect.  He lacked self confidence and was hesitant to smile.

The patient complained that, the denture often got displaced on talking and chewing. On the other hand, there has been recurrent ulcers in his mouth due to long hours of wearing the denture. Also, he was not able to taste and relish his meals as the upper denture covered the roof of his mouth. This had altered the patient’s standard of living and appearance. Patient demanded for a fixed option that would last for a lifetime and, significantly, improve his well-being.

Clinically, there were missing posterior teeth in the upper and lower jaw, with missing anterior teeth in relation to the lowers. Preoperative OPG taken revealed lack of posterior teeth in the upper and lower jaw. On the other hand, there was sufficient bone height with regard to the relative site, which makes him an ideal candidate for a fixed treatment option.

In view of the patient’s need and demand, maxillofacial surgeon and Implantologist, Dr. SM Balaji planned to replace the missing teeth with Dental Implants under local anesthesia, followed by a fixed prosthesis downstream. Patient’s medical history affirmed no abnormalities. Consent obtained from patient to move on with the treatment plan.

Under local anesthesia, the gum tissue surrounding the corresponding site is cut and elevated, exposing the underlying jaw bone. Dental Implants of appropriate size are placed in the bone with stability and retention. Once the implants are in place, the surgical site is thoroughly flushed with saline. The gum tissues were                then approximated with dissolvable suture. A course of antibiotics and painkillers were prescribed to the patient.

A temporary prosthesis had been given for the patient’s use for the time being. A duration of 3 months was required for the dental implants to completely osseointegrate with the teeth bearing bone. Until then, the patient continued on with the provisional prosthesis. Post operative x-ray taken showed well positioned, integrated, Dental implants.

Post-satisfactory healing, final impression was taken and bite registration was done. A natural looking ceramic prosthesis was fixed onto the dental implants. The prosthesis instantly gave him a makeover. The patient was so happy that, he couldn’t stop smiling!